The Twelve Days of Christmas
by BrokenDaisy
Summary: The Twelve Days of Christmas, Snicker Style. Twelve days of Snicker holidays, even though it's a few months late! Christmas present for CSIsnickers101. xxx
1. Chapter 1

**The Twelve Days of Christmas**

**A Snickery Christmas Fic, dedicated to the one and only CSIsnicker101! Xxx**

**Really unsure about this chapter, hopefully the rest will be better! Xxxxx**

**Chapter 1: One the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a brown leather charm necklace...**

25th December 1999 6:57am

He woke slowly, rubbing his eyes to vanish the trace of sleep still left behind. He blinked and turned his head to cast a glance at the beauty lying next to him.

"Sara?" He whispered, rolling gently onto his side and propping his head up on his elbow.

After no reply he swiftly adjusted himself so he was above her, arms keeping him up so that he wouldn't squish her, legs covering her own.

"Sara?" He whispered, leaning down so he was speaking into her ear.

She stirred but didn't awake, he watched her for a moment. The auburn hair tousled and un-ordered with its naturally curly bounce, the long, snowy white arm slung above her head, a contrast against the deep blue pillow, her face was peaceful and every trace of worry on her face was completely gone. Again he bent down and this to capture her lips in his, landing a soft sweet kiss on her dusky pink lips.

Her eyes fluttered open at the embrace and she began to return the kiss, turning it into more than a wakeup call. She brought her hand to his face and cupped his rough cheek, stroking the flesh, relishing in the short stubble that tickled her palm.

"Merry Christmas." He whispered, pulling away but keeping close enough their noses touched, breath mingling together.

"Merry Christmas." She replied, in the same hushed tone, as if anything louder would spoil the moment.

"What do you say we get some breakfast?" He asked, feeling how empty the night's activities had left him.

"I want you for breakfast." She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Okay, but then we have to get breakfast then presents." He grinned.

"Nick." She laughed, admiring how his face lit up like a small child's at the mention of presents.

He dropped another kiss on her lips, staying longer and using his hands to explore places he'd never known until last night.

_Its funny how plans never seem to turn out the way you would want, if it hadn't snowed Nick would have gotten on the plane and would be sitting at the large table in Dallas beside his two youngest nieces, talking with the always growing family he belonged to._

_But then sometimes plans not turning out the way they should can be a good thing, if it hadn't snowed there wouldn't have been a White Christmas, if it hadn't have snowed he wouldn't have found out Sara was planning to spend the whole of Christmas alone. If it hadn't snowed he wouldn't have invited her to his place since all the roads to hers was closed. If it hadn't snowed they wouldn't have snuggled in a blanket with their backs to the radiator drinking hot chocolate. If it hadn't snowed they wouldn't have started sharing stories._

_If it hadn't snowed they wouldn't have looked in each other's eyes._

_If it hadn't snowed they wouldn't have kissed._

_They wouldn't have ended up in his bed._

_If it hadn't snowed, they wouldn't have realised what the other meant._

_If it hadn't snowed they wouldn't have felt the tingly, nervous feeling you get inside your stomach when you first realise, the person staring back is the one you've been waiting for._

"You shouldn't have." Sara blushed, taking the tiny parcel in her hands.

"I had to." He smiled, anxiously watching her untie the bright red ribbon. "I went shopping for Greg's Secret Santa and I saw that, it looked like something you'd wear."

Or he could have been absolutely honest and say he saw it and instantly knew it was perfect for her.

"I feel like I should have gotten you something." She frowned, pulling the ribbon from the parcel and placing it to the side.

"Sara, I got to wake up to you this morning, I get to spend Christmas Day with you. Last night alone was every guy and even some of the girls in the lab's dream."

"Well thank you so much." She smiled, placing a hand over his.

"Now come on, open it!" He chuckled.

She smiled her trademark gap-tooth, wide smile as she softly peeled the wrapping paper off the box; dropping it to the side she picked the lid off of the black box.

"Nick." She said breathlessly, lifting out the small leather necklace with the three silver beads.

He smiled as he watched her finger each bead, the cube with the sunshine engraved on it, the tiny cube with an 's' hanging from it on a thin piece of chain and the paw print that he now knew matched the tattoo she had on her hip.

He could tell her the beads were specially ordered for the necklace or that the leather was animal-friendly and made up of a whole range of natural and organic-non animal- produce but he decided to keep his mouth shut as he watched her slip it on.

"Thank you." She smiled, biting her bottom lip.

"Anytime." He replied, picking up the forgotten fork and cutting a piece of the pancake they'd ordered half an hour ago bringing it up to her mouth and letting her take it from the metal instrument before feeding himself a bite.

"I did not know you owned a dress." He smirked, looking up and down the full length of Sara Sidle.

"I have to have something in case of an emergency, like I actually get a date." She smiled, twirling round and showing off just a little for him.

"In that dress you'd get plenty of dates but you don't need one anymore. You're mine."

The words you're mine would usually have resulted in Sara slapping whoever dare call her theirs but with Nick it was meaningful, he was protective, he was loving and he wanted her, something she'd never truly known.

It was a simple dress, vintage 50's day dress she'd seen once at a market and had immediately fallen in love with. She wasn't the dressy person but this dress was the perfect blend of femininity and independence. The orangey colour of it was enough to make anyone run and hide but she sort of liked how orange looked, it was her favourite colour since she was 14 and this dress to her was the perfect shade. She wore Nick's gift, and when she was changing she couldn't help but admire it in the mirror.

"You look like the sun." He smiled, taking her hand and twirling her around, the skirts of the dress flying out.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She decided, wrapping her arms around him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "Thank you Nick."

"You deserve it Sara." He whispered into her air, breathing in her sweet scent.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Twelve Days of Christmas**

**On the Second Day of Christmas my true love gave to me two miles to go, and a brown leather charm necklace.**

24th December 2000 12:41pm

"You still awake?" Nick chuckled, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to glance at Sara who had stopped talking about an hour ago.

"Yeah." She replied quietly, staring out into the bewildering darkness of the country scenery of San Antonio.

"You sure." He smiled, reaching out a hand and bringing the fleece blanket she had over her legs up to her shoulders, she graciously thanked him and kept the fabric draped over her shoulders.

"I don't want to miss anything." She said, watching the inky blue out of her window, making out dark shapes of everything flying by.

"Hate to say this Sar, but it basically looks the same as what you passed a mile ago and a mile before that. And we have travelled thousands of miles. You've seen pretty much all of Texas and that was in the first half hour."

"That's not true about a mile ago I saw a deer, then a mile before that I saw a cat sitting on a post box and a few miles before that I saw a house covered in Christmas decorations. In fact right there I think I just saw a kangaroo." She announced.

"A kangaroo?" he questioned.

"Or a tree shaped like one, I don't know. Have you seen how dark it is out there?" She said, squinting at the miles of darkness."So are you looking forward to seeing your sisters?" Sara asked, turning to face him.

"I love my family, but they can be a bit pushy and intimidating sometimes, especially Loretta and Maybelle."

Sara stifled a laugh and he looked over at her. "Does all your family have very country names like that Nicholas?" She asked, emphasizing his first name.

"Well there's Loretta, Maybelle, Peyton, Delaney, Teresa and Gareth so yeah I guess so, but honey we were born in raised in Texas." Nick grinned, laying the drawl on thick.

"Well it's a good job I have a thing for cowboys. Especially ones in tight pants." Sara smirked, bringing up a conversation she'd overheard in the break room with Warrick, Greg and Catherine.

"It's a good job you're beautiful because if you'd been Warrick you would have been outside by now." Nick frowned, wriggling in his seat.

"Not all men can pull off tight jeans." She chuckled. "Like not all guys can pull off wearing shirts lower than Catherine like Warrick does."

"Weren't you meant to be working on a case, not eavesdropping into ours?" Nick questioned, squeezing her knee with his hand which made her jump and squirm in her chair.

"I was, I was simply walking past and overheard, besides if how tight yours or Greg's pants were compared to Catherine's was your case I can safely say you had an easy night."

"We're here Sar." He whispered, switching off the roaring engine.

"Kay." Sara nodded drowsily, grabbing her bag that had been sitting on her feet for hours without her even realising and opening the car door. Keeping it close when the wind swung it wide open.

Nick led her up the stairs of the large farmhouse and took a key out from his back pocket. Swirling it around in the lock he opened the door and plodded in, breathing in the scent that brought back memories of a young boy. Sara nervously took a step in as Nick shit the door behind her, to her right was a large staircase she presumed went on for at least four floors according to outside, to her left was a walk in cupboard where peoples coats were hung on hooks around the wall and shoes sat beneath, ranging from pink, jelly shoes small enough for a doll to black, shiny business-like shoes that could house several of the tiny jelly ones. Nick began to kick off his shoes and placed them in an empty space, Sara did the same and he took her jacket from her and hung it over his own before taking her hand and leading her up the wooden staircase.

He took her all the way to the very top, into one big room she presumed used to be the attic. There was little windows on the roof and the rafters were adorned in white paint, it all looked very grand, much different to what Sara was used to.

"Hey Sara." He smiled, from his place lying on the big bed in the middle.

"Yeah?" She asked, looking at him.

"It's Christmas Day." He smiled.

"Merry Christmas Nick." She grinned, climbing onto the bed.

"Merry Christmas Sara." He smiled, grabbing her waist and giving her a soft kiss on the lips he'd grown to love.

_Not only was it Christmas Day, but it marked a year of living with their eyes wide open, marked a year since they'd woken up in each other's arms, a year since they realised they fit perfectly there._

"Mummy!" The four year old with chocolate curls cried, startling Sara awake. "There's a girl with Unkie Nick! She's in his bed and everything."

The mother of the curious daughter came rushing to the doorway, to try and stop her runaway daughter from waking up the two adults but by the time she'd gotten there, it was much too late.

Sara awoke with the tiny nose of the freckled face girl touching hers and the creamy, chocolate eyes staring at her like she was some sort of alien from above.

"Who are you?" The girl asked, her accent so profound for such a tiny girl.

"Sara." She replied, trying hard not to laugh at the current situation, the little girl straddling her with her face touching her own, her soft brown curls tumbling like a curtain over both their faces.

"Say-raahr." The little girl repeated, giggling. "My name's Josie-Jane Teresa Annabeth Stokes."

She said it like a child who had been told never to forget it in case she ever got lost.

"Hello, Josie-Jane Teresa Annabeth Stokes." Sara smiled. "What do you say we try and get Unkie Nick up?"

Josie, swiftly removed herself from Sara and threw herself onto Nick who woke up immediately and began to tickle Josie until she was in a frenzy of laughter.

"Stop...it...Unkie...Nick...It...tickles!" She squealed. As Nick stopped she looked back over at Sara.

"Aren't you a bit old for sleepovers?" She asked, tilting her head to the side, her curls falling to the side.

Nick just laughed and looked over at Sara who had propped herself up on her elbows, the chocolate waves, tousled and going in every direction, her brown eyes sparkling even though she'd had less than five hours sleep.

"I guess we are, but we still like to." Nick smiled, watching out of the corner of his eyes the raven haired woman at the doorway.

"But boys aren't meant to sleep with girls!" Josie exclaimed, "It's against the law or somethin'."

The three adults laughed and Josie pouted, fed up of being the silly girl everybody laughed at.

"Well, anyway. It's Christmas Day Unkie Nick and em... Auntie Sara." She clapped. "Which means you gotta get up otherwise Grammama pours water all over Unkie Nicky and she said she'd been keeping it in a special place this year, someplace really really cold she said!"

The woman at the doorway smiled at the two adults in the bed and said a quick hello to Sara before rushing Josie away leaving them alone.

"So your family seems nice." Sara giggled, sitting up.

"That's not even a tenth of them." Nick sighed, dragging Sara back down into the land of covers and giving her the good morning kiss he'd envisioned.

_**That's all for just now, I think we'll meet more of Nicks family some other time, we'll definitely meet Josie again!**_

_**Anyhow next up... On the third day of Christmas...**_


	3. Chapter 3

**The Twelve Days of Christmas**

**A different writing style to this but hopefully still good! **

**Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and got everything they wanted!**

**On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 3 day shift, two miles to go and a brown leather charm necklace.**

**25****th**** December 2001-Crime Lab- 12:34**

He crept in and stood at the doorway, watching her sleeping form on the couch. 72 hours was too long for anyone to go without sleep, too long for anyone to survive on only the caffeine running through their veins. He wished he could have taken her home hours ago but the case being of such high importance as it was none of them could leave, and the case being of such a nature made no-one want to leave. She was the only CSI who had been on the case the whole time, 3 days ago she'd been handed the small slip of paper with the details of the crime on it, she was told to work solo. A mere case that would take hours to solve, only one body if that.

70 hours later the mere solo case was being worked on by every CSI on Nightshift and one body had become nine. A few hour case turned into something much more.

He walked over , carefully treading on the carpet, testing for squeaky floorboards before he put all of his weight on it. The room was dark as the blinds were shut but the ounce of light let in from the hallway shone right on her, just enough so he could see her clearly. He knelt down on the floor at her head and swept away a stray of auburn hair, stroking the side of her face as he did so. Her exhausted face was replaced by one of tranquillity and he wanted nothing more than to let her sleep for days but in an hour she would have to wake up and work. He let his eyes glance over her body, she was scrunched in a tiny ball like always despite the fact she was on a few inches wide sofa that she was falling off of and as he let his eyes fall to her stomach he noticed her shirt had ridden up and the porcelain skin stood out against the world of darkness around it, he let his hand reach out and cover it, the heat from his hand immediately rushing into her cold, exposed skin.

"Sweet Dreams Sara." He whispered, taking the thin blanket from the back of the couch and covering her body in it.

He got up from his knees and began to walk out, just at the door when she whispered Love you back to him.

A spoken phrase they had never truly said before.

"I love you too Sar."

**So a**** lot**** shorter, a lot different I think to my usual style. Hope you enjoyed it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Twelve Days of Christmas**

**On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me four best of friends, three day shift, two miles to go and a brown leather charm necklace.**

**24****th**** December 2002- Barney's Bar- 21:43**

"So why did you want to bring Sara to the guys night." Warrick asked, having no objections at having one of his closest female friends with them that night but asking merely out of curiosity.

"She never does anything for Christmas, I thought it would be nice to bring her with us, you don't mind do you?" Nick questioned, watching Sara as she chatted with Greg at their table, laughing as he told her another one of his stories they'd all heard a million times and counting. They hadn't told anyone they were dating yet, not because they didn't want to but because they either couldn't find the time forgot, chickened-out and really Nick wanted to see where they could go together before bringing anyone else in for the ride.

"No problem here man." Warrick chuckled, picking up the drinks the blonde bartender placed in front of them. "I don't think Greg's got a problem either."

Nick smirked and they both began to walk towards the table, the one tucked in the corner next to the green-stained-glass lamp that illuminated the dark table, it was one of the only lights in the little hole of a bar which is why they choose it, preferring to see what they were drinking and to see each other's faces. They passed Sara and Greg their drinks and sat down themselves, Nick not to subtly moving to sit next to Sara, a move that didn't go un-noticed by Warrick and Greg. Sara saw the curious glances they shared but Nick was blissfully unaware, shifting his chair to be close enough to Sara that he could feel the heat from her body.

Even in the loose jeans and worn trainers Nick found Sara beautiful, he told her so as well. Everyday telling her she looked beautiful, everyday her responding with the same witty comments of "butter that toast", "flirt" or sometimes responding with her own comments. She always blushed though when he told her these things, not being used to being told that she was beautiful, not being used to the person saying it meaning it, not being used to the person saying it being Nick Stokes.

Even after four years, the idea of her being with Nick Stokes made her mind swirl and melt, turning it into mush. She felt incredibly silly each time she felt this way but she was as giddy as a teenage girl and far too happy to care.

"Hey Nick, that girls been checking you out all night." Warrick chuckled, turning the three heads towards a red-head who was blatantly staring at Nick, twirling her bright hair into a curl with her manicured finger, smiling with her glossed pink lips as she stood leaning on the bar with her two friends who were more interested in talking to each other than any of the guys in the room. She was generally tall, made taller by the black heels she wore which were accompanied by a black tube skirt fixed under her bust and just above mid thigh as well as a red shirt which drew more attention to her fire-like waves.

"She's totally your type." Greg smiled, she was exactly Nick's type, the sea of fiery red, ice-blue eyes and a set of legs that couldn't be put into words.

"I've kinda gone off red hair since Shelby, I prefer blondes now." Nick grinned, watching Sara more than the object of the table's attention.

"Well there's plenty of blondes here tonight but Nicky I'd give this one a shot as she's coming over." Warrick suggested, pointing towards the trio of women making their way over.

Nick seeing them squeezed Sara's knee in which his hand had been the whole evening and looked at her, she simply laughed and smiled. Just as the three woman came to the table.

-12-

She watched her three best friends dance awkwardly on the small space of floor where the dancers resided with their women, Nick with the red-head appropriately named Scarlett and Warrick and Greg with the blonde sidekicks Kathleen and Ameira. Warrick and Greg seemed to be enjoying dancing with the two beautiful women whereas Nick always made sure he could see Sara, made sure to touch Scarlett on un-intimate parts much to her disappointment and as soon as the song ended Nick politely excused himself and ran to Sara where he swept her off her chair and took her towards the dance floor, the song that was playing was much too fast and club-like so before they took a step onto the dance floor Nick brought them to the record player.

The music began and she looked at Nick.

"A country song?" She asked.

"As always Darlin'." He smiled, taking her hand and leading her onto the dance floor where people were albeit confused but dancing away with vigour to the song through the speakers.

He spun her around so her back was to his stomach and he could put his head on her shoulder. It was like a rather backwards hug especially with his arms wrapped around her abdomen hers tucked beneath them. He began to sway with her gently, singing all the words in her ear.

"_There's a new wind blowing like I've never known, I'm breathing deeper than I've ever done, And it sure feels good to finally feel the way I do, I wanna love Somebody, love Somebody like You..."_

-12-

**Sara Sidle's Apartment, 101a Coulder Street. 24****th**** December 23:12**

Sara crawled into bed after a quick glance in the mirror, she looked ridiculous but she didn't care. Flattening out her floaty blue night-gown with white lace she lay on the bed, in the most "sexy" position she could do without denting her modesty and waited for Nick to emerge from the bathroom.

"Hey Cowboy." She smiled, brushing her hair away from her face.

"What are you doing Sar?" He asked, pulling a t-shirt over his head with a very confused look on his face.

"What?" She asked, trying so hard to not laugh.

He gestured to his head, fingering a strand of hair.

"I thought you liked blondes?" She chuckled, tucking a strand of fake blonde hair from her face.

He laughed with her and knelt down on the bed, tugging the blonde wig from her head and throwing it over to the otherside of the room.

"No, I like you." He smiled, cupping her face in his hands and planting a kiss on her lips, as she began to respond to the kiss and they both deepened it she pulled back and looked at him.

"But you told Greg and Warrick..." She joked, pouting childishly.

"Oh shut up and kiss me." He laughed, kissing the silly pout on her face. "I love _you_."

**Song used: Somebody Like You- Keith Urban**

**Hope y'all enjoyed it, next up...**

**On the 5th day of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me... Five Shades of Red.**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Twelve Days Of Christmas**

**Slight Warning, slightly more T than I've previously written.**

**On the 5****th**** Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 5 shades of Red, 4 Best of Friends, 3 Day Shift, 2 Miles to Go and a Brown Leather Charm Necklace.**

_Her cheeks had to have been 5 shades of __**Red**__ at least, she was so dreadfully __**embarrassed.**__ Not that I can blame her. To be caught like that! -Catherine_

_Both were __**blushing,**__ their cheeks a mixture of __**Candy Apple Red**__ and of course an appropriate term __**Lust Red**__. It reminded me of the Harvest Mite, such an exquisite bug.-Grissom_

_The __**embarrassed blush**__ covered each visible part of his skin; it probably covered places that he didn't even know could __**blush**__. I know it did for me...-Sara_

_It came as a shock when I found out Sara's choice in underwear; __**Ruby Red**__ was not something I thought of her in... -Greg_

_**Fire Engine Red**__, that seems to best describe their faces. It was quite funny though, not that I ever think they'll see it that way. –Warrick_

_**Crimson.**__ Even just thinking about it makes my face __**Crimson**__.-Nick_

_I always knew there was something going on between them! –Hodges._

**25****th**** December 2003- Locker Room LVPD- 06:23 (End of Shift)**

"Very nice." Nick commented from the doorway, much like Sara had done a few months ago.

"I'm sure that's harassment." She chuckled, hauling her blood spattered top over her head, leaving her standing there shirtless much to Nick's amusement.

"Hey we have one locker room and it's my job to be observant." Nick shrugged.

"That's Copyright." She smirked, rummaging in her messy locker to find a clean shirt.

"How?" Nick asked, waltzing over so he was standing right behind her.

"That's my line." She pouted, sighing in defeat at her locker.

"How is it your line?" He asked.

"I said it first." She replied, falling onto the bench in defeat.

"You know if you kept your locker tidier you'd find things easier." He chuckled, standing up and looking into the locker.

"You sound like my Mum." Sara smiled, looking at the blue sweater on the bench, tracing every red mark with her eyes.

It had been one of those cases, in which one moment everything was better than they had hoped, the next it was worse. And the Sara before who'd have let the unfair twist make her that unsociable person she vowed that now she was with Nick she would never be was trying so hard to climb out of the grave the happy Sara had built and buried her in. It wasn't the best of cases to have on Christmas Day but it had to be solved and at least with it being solved she was able to rest peacefully.

"Throw it away Sara." Nick said seriously, all joking aside.

Throw away the bad thoughts.

Throw away the memory.

Throw away the darkness.

Throw away the Sweater.

Sara had never thought it would be so easy, to simply throw away the sweater and get rid of all the bad thought attached to it. But Nick made it that easy.

She threw it into the waste basket in the far corner and stood up.

"Have you found my shirt yet?" She asked, peering over his shoulder.

He lifted his hand to her face and it held something, not a shirt but a photo.

"_Come a bit closer." He chuckled, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her flush against his body. She squealed at the sudden movement but didn't try to move or protest._

"_Smile!" She grinned, snapping a photo of him; he blinked rapidly to get the bright light out of his eyes before he stole the camera away from her._

"_You too then Darlin'." Adjusting her so they could both look up at the Camera that he held in the air._

"_Ready, set, go." He smiled, just as the bright flash appeared and the clicking noise emanated from the camera._

_They both sat up to look at the picture they'd just taken and they smiled as they saw it._

"This was years ago." He said, fingering the photo, torn between crying and grinning like a fool.

"5 years ago today." She smiled. "I found it a week ago and I got it printed onto a mug for your Christmas, you'll get it tonight."

"You know I remember this day like it was yesterday." He smiled.

"Me too." She agreed. "I feel like all of our Christmases were yesterday.

"I don't remember any Christmases before then though." He laughed.

"It hasn't really been 5 years has it?" Sara asked.

"One-thousand, eight hundred and twenty-six days."

"How on earth do you know that?" She laughed, "I must be getting old, it's gone by so quickly."

"Well you know they say time flies by when you're having fun."

"Well I've had the time of my life Nick Stokes." She smiled, "Now have you found me a shirt yet, it's freezing in here."

"Sara Sidle, I'm sure we were just having one of those beautiful hearty moments and all you can think of is your shirt." He chuckled, rummaging again in the locker.

"Well we can have one of those sweet moments when I'm not standing half-naked in a public place which might I say is dreadfully cold." She exclaimed, fixing a strap on her red bra from digging into her skin.

"I personally am enjoying the view." He smiled, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Nick." She scolded, hitting him on his arm.

"It's not my fault you're absolutely gorgeous." He smiled, swooping down and landing a kiss on her lips.

"Nick, we can't do this here." She protested lightly, tasting in his kisses what he wanted.

"I don't care." He replied, in between kisses. "I just want you."

"Nick." She said, losing all words as he began to pepper kisses down her neck, over her shoulder, across her collarbone and down to her chest.

He hoisted her up into his arms, his arms supporting her under her thighs as he continued exploring every slice of white skin, her black slammed against the cool, metal of the lockers as he sought something to keep her where he wanted and by this time she couldn't care less about what they were doing, her arms were wrapped around his neck but she removed them after she felt safe pinned between him and the locker and used them to rid him of the grey t-shirt he had been wearing.

As soon as it made contact with the floor the door to the locker room opened.

"Nick? Sara?" Catherine's voice broke the trance of the two lovers.

As soon as it did they saw the group of people at the doorway.

Grissom, Catherine, Greg, Warrick and Hodges all stood there before them. Watching.

Sara suddenly fell to the floor as Nick stepped back, landing on her feet but only just.

Both of their faces were beetroot red, realising that they'd just been caught by their friends, their co-workers, their superior and Hodges in one of their most intimate moments.

Great way to tell them they were dating.

_Her cheeks had to have been 5 shades of __**Red**__ at least, she was so dreadfully __**embarrassed.**__ Not that I can blame her. To be caught like that! -Catherine_

_Both were __**blushing,**__ their cheeks a mixture of __**Candy Apple Red**__ and of course an appropriate term __**Lust Red**__. It reminded me of the Harvest Mite, such an exquisite bug.-Grissom_

_The __**embarrassed blush**__ covered each visible part of his skin; it probably covered places that he didn't even know could __**blush**__. I know it did for me...-Sara_

_It came as a shock when I found out Sara's choice in underwear; __**Ruby Red**__ was not something I thought of her in... -Greg_

_**Fire Engine Red**__, that seems to best describe their faces. It was quite funny though, not that I ever think they'll see it that way. –Warrick_

_**Crimson.**__ Even just thinking about it makes my face __**Crimson**__.-Nick_

_I always knew there was something going on between them! –Hodges_


	6. Chapter 6

**The Twelve Days Of Christmas**

**On the Sixth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 6 Ghosts Remembered, 5 Shades of Red, 4 Best of Friends, 3 Day Shift, 2 Miles to Go and a brown leather charm necklace.**

**25****th**** December 2004-**_**Their**_** Apartment-19:42**

"A Christmas Carol will always be a spooky film or book, whether it's done by the Muppets or not." Sara frowned, switching off the TV as the credits began to roll.

"I don't know, can you really be scared when an alien and a rat are telling the story?" He chuckled, pulling her down into the warmth of the covers of _their _bed.

"Because I hate ghosts and spirits." She replied, brushing her fingers against his 2 day old stubble that had grown on his cheek.

"We all have ghosts." He breathed, lightly kissing her thumb as it passed his lips.

"I feel like I have too many." She sighed, shivering as he brought his hand up to caress her cheek.

"So do I." He replied, running a hand through her dark hair.

"Tell me about them. Your ghosts." She asked, her voice so vulnerable, so emotional.

He was taken aback by her request but he nodded, he was past hiding things from her. She was his best friend, his partner, his life, his lover, his girlfriend, his lifeline, she was his everything.

So he brought her closer, and took a deep breath,

"I wasn't the youngest in my family, about two years after I was born my mum had another baby, it was another girl, she was tiny. She was named Brie but she was born with loads of diseases and illness's and doctors didn't think she'd make it past a week but she did, and she lived for two years until she caught a cold, a cold of all things was the thing that killed her. She was my best friend, we spent every minute with each other. She was only two yet she understood everything I told her and we would play all sorts of games and I'd always let her win so she would smile and I would always look after her, I taught her how to climb a tree and how to make a den. She died two days after my fifth birthday, she had told me that I didn't need to grow up anymore, that I was practically an old man, she said I should give my birthday to her so she could grow up a bit since I was really old already." Nick smiled weakly as he remembered and Sara's gentle squeeze assured him he was fine but that he was doing the right thing and that the woman beside him, understood him and took him for who he was. "I wished I'd have given her my birthday and then she would have been able to say she had 3 years on this planet, instead of 2 years and four months. I wish she hadn't have died at all, she was so little, so perfect, so innocent, she didn't deserve it Sara."

He let the tears fall in rivers down her face and she fought back the urge to cry too.

"Nobody deserves that Nick." She whispered, leaning up and kissing away all of the salty tears streaming down his face.

"You know there's only two spirits in my life that will forever haunt me, Brie and Evangeline." He said, swallowing the lump in his throat, suddenly adoring the woman next to him so much more at her ability to listen to him, to help him, to make him feel so much better with a simple touch.

"Your baby-sitter." Sara said, asking but knowing.

"How did you know?" Nick asked, meeting her chocolate pools.

"Catherine found out we were together a week after we slept together, she's a better CSI than we gave her credit for. She told me to be careful, to not hurt you. I told her I wasn't going to hurt you and then I asked her why and she told me there was some things I should know before anything really started between us so I did some, research. In Dallas, Texas there was an arrest made in 1990, a 24 year old woman had been arrested for molesting eight children, which they knew about. She claimed there was many more but they never found them, she typically molested 9 year old boys. Her name was Evangeline West." Sara explained, "You were nine when she baby sat you, weren't you?"

"How did you know she babysat me?" Nick asked.

"Loretta." Sara confirmed, naming his eldest sister. "When she came down I asked her if she knew Evangeline. They were best friends all through high school, your mother asked her to babysit you for a night because she wanted to be a Nanny when she grew up. They trusted her."

"You know you're the first girl who's done a background check on me." He chuckled, playing with her tousled locks.

"I had to make sure you were okay, I did it wrong though. I should have asked you." She apologised.

"You're the first woman to erase the touches." He announced. "I've slept with a million women Sar, all to try and erase the touches that she did, you're the only woman who I haven't felt her touches, her kisses, her on me. You're the only woman who makes me forget, you're the only one I can make love to without feeling her hands on my body."

"It shouldn't have happened to you Nick, nobody deserves to have their childhood pulled away from them."

"You did. Your story is worse than all of ours."

"It may be worse but Nick everybody sees me as having problems, as being haunted by ghosts. It affects me more than anyone else. You're the bravest here, looking at you, you wouldn't ever think that you're haunted, you're just this happy, funny guy that everybody loves." She explained, locking fingers with him.

"So tell me about them and let them free, a problem shared is a problem halved." He quoted.

"I don't want to drag you down with me."

"Please."

-12-

"My Mother and Father always fought, big fights over nothing , it would start with shouting, then it was screaming, then he would start to hit, or punch or he'd use anything he could get his hands on. He'd break furniture, windows, bones. Mother never hit him but she got angry, she'd take every beating Father gave her then she'd return her anger to both me and my brother, her hits seemed to be the hardest for Father knew when to stop before he really hurt his, he knew when to stop so that he couldn't be caught, he knew when to stop so that we wouldn't bruise and therefore had no evidence against him." She could remember everything in such detail, the smells, a blend of alcohol, sweat and blood. She remembered short videos of her as a small child, videos of her running, crying, videos of her being beaten.

"Sar." He comforted, feeling the burning anger inside him as he imagined the tiny Sara Sidle, being broken by the people who were meant to protect her.

"And my brother had these games, he'd come in at night and we'd play. Not childish games, he would come in and he would take off my nightgown and he would bring out his pocket knife. He'd learnt from Father, how to hurt someone without leaving a trace. He would pull the knife along my skin, putting the tip in. It always hurt so much, it would bleed so much. I remember lying after he'd gone, covered in the redness, but there was never any scars. Just blood."

"Didn't your Mother notice?" Nick asked, feeling pain everywhere in his body, as if he was getting a knife run over his skin.

"I had to be a Good Girl. He always told me to be a Good Girl, to clean up the mess, to keep quiet, to not say a word to anyone. Ever."

Nick clenched his fists in anger, hearing her story, hearing everything she'd gone through made him so angry, so angry.

"I was put into Foster Care when I was twelve, just after my Mother killed my Father and I found out that the life I had been living was not what everybody else was. I was put into a small family at first but they sent me back, said I was too unsociable, too quiet. By this time I was thirteen and everybody wants little children, the sweet ones. Nobody wants a teenager who don't get on well with anyone. So I was put into a group home until Alaina and Carmine Jackson took me in. My social worker told me I was the luckiest girl alive. I didn't believe her."

"I did what I had done in the other foster homes, I didn't ask for anything, I spent my days in a book, alone. But Alaina didn't like it, she would force me out, grabbing my wrists. I was put into a school for girls and I was fine, until my teacher had a conversation with Alaina, Carmine and my social worker. She said I was smart but the loner-type and that perhaps it would be better if I was to be a little more open and make some friends. Alaina tried to make me fit in with the other girls, inviting them for sleepovers, buying me things to help me fit in but I never used them. That was when she shouted, telling me I was ungrateful. When I was fourteen, new people moved in across the road. They had a foster son, Dylan who was like me and we made friends, until Carmine found out. He found us in my bedroom and he took Dylan out and he beat him, then he found me and he locked me in the cellar that they owned, I was in there for 32 hours until the police came and found me, by this time Alaina and Carmine were gone and Dylan was dead."

"That's why you're scared of the dark." He concluded, remembering the first time he'd gone to switch off the hallway light when they were about to go to sleep.

"Yeah, 32 hours in a box room does wonders to your mental health." She joked, hoping it would make her feel a bit better. "I remember seeing all the police officers surrounding the house, swarming through every room. It made me sure that it was what I wanted to do. I wanted to save people like they'd done to me."

"My sister worked that case." Nick announced, remembering hearing the details over a family dinner from his Mother who seemed to be quoting everything her daughter had told her.

"Which one?" Sara asked, trying hard to remember every police officer she'd met in her adolescent years.

"Maybelle, she moved to Tamales Bay in 1985, you would have been 12."

"Like you." She reminded, there was a month between their birthdays, his September 23rd to her October 8th.

"So we you knew of me before we met." She smiled.

"Knew of you?" He scoffed, "In my last year of high school we were to do a news report of something in the news. I did mine of your case."

"You didn't."

"Wait here." He instructed, clambering out of the coy bed and over to the cupboard, he rummaged in the top shelf before pulling out a folder, he wandered back to the bed and took a seat quickly glancing at the time as he realised they had been talking for hours and it was now nearly eleven'o clock.

"Here." He said, handing her a polly-pocket stuffed with sheets of paper.

'_No Place Like Home, Little Sister." by Nicholas Stokes._

"No Place like Home, Little Sister?" She questioned.

"Both were popular songs then." He shrugged, "And when I'd discuss it with my buddies they would always say, if she was my little sister I would pound their faces in or I'd run them over with a truck."

"So do you still think of me as a little sister?" She asked with a smirk on her face.

"Hell no." He chuckled, taking the folder out of her hands and throwing it over his shoulder, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Twelve Days of Christmas**

**On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 7 Hours of Marriage, 6 Ghosts remembered, 5 shades of Red, ****4 Best of Friends, 3 Day Shift, 2 Miles to Go and a Brown Leather Charm Necklace.**

**Be warned, this chapter is a lot longer than my others and compared with chapter 3 it's like the big daddy!**

"_And you may..." The Minister paused for a moment and glanced at his watch. _

_Everybody sitting in the audience wondered how the Minister could suddenly stop in the middle of the ceremony, especially at such a moment. Some found it rude, others were confused but as soon as the loud bell chimes started their song the Minister finished._

"_Kiss the Bride." _

_And so, Nick Stokes did. _

_And so, the newly appointed Sara Stokes returned her husband's eager kiss._

_And they were married just like that at the dead of midnight, the first minute of the 25__th__ of December 2005, they became husband and wife._

**25****th**** December 2005 00:03**

"So how does it feel being married?" Warrick asked, patting Nick on the back.

"It's the best feeling in the world." Nick beamed, pulling Sara close to him, admiring the way the white skirts danced around her tiny feet.

"What about you Sar? Taking back that whole anti-marriage thing?" Warrick questioned.

"No but being married to Nick's completely different, I'm completely anti-marriage excluding marriage with Nick." She smiled.

"So I can't marry Eloisa but I can marry Nick?" Warrick chuckled, referencing his girlfriend of the last 2 years.

"Erm, No, I'm completely Anti-marriage excluding true love."

"You're such a hopeless romantic." Nick chuckled, kissing her cheek.

She opened her mouth to reply when the cries of "Unkie Nick" met their ears.

"Josie." Nick smiled, catching the nine year old girl who flung herself at her favourite Uncle.

"So you're married now too?" She asked, playing with the flower he had in his coat pocket.

"Yip." He smiled, holding her in his arms.

"So she's really properly, properly Auntie Sara now?" She enquired, looking at Sara with her big, brown eyes. "Not like the Auntie Sara I called her when I was little."

"Yip, really, properly, properly Auntie Sara." Nick grinned.

"You're very pretty." Josie smiled, blushing as she addressed Sara. "Like a princess."

"Thank you." Sara smiled, "So are you."

At being told this Josie hid herself in Nick's coat, blushing and shy. She wore a lilac purple dress that touched her ankles, it had a flowery pattern on the skirt and a belt with sewn on lilac flowers. She had tiny white shoes on and a tiara in her untamed curls that sparkled with the glittery spray she would wear everyday if she could.

"Everybody's getting married." Josie announced, "First Mummy and Daddy, then Auntie Payt'nin and Uncle Drake, then Uncle Garth and Auntie Martie and now you two!"

"I suppose it's true, everyone is getting married." Nick realised.

"Josie?" A tall blonde man came through the crowds calling the young girls name.

"Daddy." Josie whispered to Nick and Sara.

"Josie!" The man smiled in relief as he lay his eyes on the brunette in Nick's arms. He ran over to the trio, followed by Nicks youngest sister Teresa, Josie's Mother."

"Josie, we asked you not to run off." Teresa cried, taking Josie from Nicks arms.

"I wanted to Congratulate Unkie Nick and Auntie Sara." Josie replied looking at her newly wedded Mother and Father.

"Well tell us before you run, Josie-Jump, your Mummy was panicking." The man chuckled, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist.

"Mummy always panics." Josie chuckled.

"So Tess, are you going to introduce us?" Nick asked, looking at his petite sister then at her mystery husband.

"Oh, Nick, I forgot you hadn't met, this is Patrick. Josie's father and my husband." Teresa blushed, looking up at her smiling husband.

"At last." Patrick grinned.

"It's nice to finally meet you." Nick smiled, shaking hands with the elder man, emphasizing the word 'finally'.

"To finally, I'm afraid dear Teresa's timing is a little off." Patrick laughed.

"Yeah, not everybody goes bar-maid, cop, detective, mother, boss, wife." Nick laughed, watching his sisters blushing cheeks.

"I'm not everybody." She shrugged, moving over to talk to Sara as the two men got to know each other.

"You deserve better than him." She joked, admiring Sara's beauty in the white wedding dress and the happy smile.

"I don't." Sara smiled, "It was some magic mistake that I got him, it's him who deserves better than me."

"Not a chance, I've seen the two of you together, ever since that morning five years ago I've wanted you to be the one he settled down with, you're good to him and you're both surreally perfect for each other."

"Thank you, I wouldn't say perfect though." Sara smiled, fingering her newly placed wedding ring.

"I don't know, anyone watching this on TV would think so."

-12-

**25****th**** December 2005 01:03**

"And may the bride and groom make their way to the dance floor where we will begin the night; I mean morning with the first dance." The lead singer of the acoustic band announced to the hustling crowd of people in extravagant clothing

Nick held a hand out for Sara and she bit her bottom lip, she was definitely no dancer. He laughed at her nervous smile and pulled her close to him, placing a hand on her waist and holding her hand in the other.

"I can't dance." She whispered, placing her free hand on his shoulder, a little closer to the base of his neck.

"You danced at the bar." He chuckled, twirling her into the centre of the dance-floor.

"No, you danced and I let you pull my strings and make me dance." She smiled; looking up at her new husband not at her feet which she was sure meant that now she was about to trip.

"Well then puppet, let me pull your strings again, just look like you know what you're doing." He smiled, leaning in and planting a kiss on her lips.

"So what song did you pick?" Sara asked as he pulled away.

"You'll see." Nick said, nodding at the band who immediately struck up the song.

The soft picking of the strings on the guitar led them into a song that spoke Sara and Nick's life story in four minutes. Nick slowly led Sara across the dancefloor, gracefully twisting her making her dance with great elegance and poise as he stepped without thinking, smiling at her and occasionally laughing when she apologised for stepping on his toes.

"It's meant to be the guys who have two left feet darlin'." He chuckled, whispering into her ear as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Why do you think women wear big gowns on their wedding day? It's so they can hide their mistakes behind three layers of silk." She replied, laughing as she yet again stood on his toes.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Sara asked, looking down to avoid stepping upon his poor leather clad toes.

"Steel-toes shoes, Sar." He smiled, spinning them so she could see the people watching.

Watching the pair as they danced together with two gold wedding rings shining in the gold light.

_Wise men say,  
>Only fools rush in<br>But I can't help  
>Falling in love with you.<em>

Shall I stay?  
>Would it be a sin,<br>If I can't help  
>falling in love with you?<p>

Like a river flows,  
>Surely to the sea.<br>Darling so it goes,  
>Something's are meant to be.<br>Take my hand,  
>Take my whole life too,<p>

_For I can't help falling in love with you.  
>For I can't help falling in love with you.<em>

As the song closed, Nick pulled Sara into a kiss and the spectators applauded, some women smiling overly-brightly to fight the tears they felt escaping. After the applaud had finished the lead singer stood up with his microphone in hand:

"May the Groom's mother and the Bride's father please come up and dance with their children for the last audienced dance of the night before we truly get this party started."

Nick glanced over at Sara who was looking straight at him, everybody here knew Sara's father wasn't here, the fact that she'd given herself away had been the major clue in the puzzle but only a handful of the audience knew the real reason why the beautiful bride was the only person in the whole room with Sidle-blood.

Gillian emerged from the crowd in her fitting sky-blue dress, her red hair pinned back and a light cover of make-up on her face looking as young and as happy as many of the twenty year olds in the room, in fact had she not stepped into the floor at that moment no-one would have guessed she was the mother to seven children, the eldest of which being 40 years old; she smiled at her son and her newly appointed Daughter-in-law and joined her son on the centre stage.

An awkward moment lay as no-one came forth to claim the lady in white, she stood off to the side by a lot and was about to let Nick and his mother dance on their own when four things happened all at once.

Jim Brass stood up and straightened his tie, perfectly fine with dancing with Sara Stokes for in all of his life: She had been the most like a daughter to him.

Warrick Brown began his walk to the floor, not having his best friend who would forever be his little sister alone in a dance of such a matter.

Greg Sanders stood up and made his way towards the floor, happy to dance with Sara in whatever the occasion was, whether he was playing the role of a father she never had or being a best friend, there for her no matter what.

Bill Stokes took a step onto the wooden dance-floor and took Sara into his arms. If the man who'd been allowed the joy of having such a beautiful, smart daughter couldn't have realised that he was the luckiest man in the world before he begun the abuse Bill Stokes had heard everything of then he would gladly take the place of that man and be the Father of Sara Sidle-Stokes.

The band began to play a simple country song, it was just the melody and Sara had never heard of it before but as she danced with Nick's father he sang the lyrics in a silent voice. He danced as exquisitely as Nick, obviously taught well by Gillian who even Nick was having a hard time keeping up to.

"I'm very happy Nick chose you Sara." He smiled, twirling her and chuckling as she was caught by surprise."You are a Queen compared to some of the other girls he's been with."

"Thank you." Sara smiled, watching her feet in a desperate attempt not to step on Nick's father.

"Look up, and smile. Act as if you aren't dancing with the devil." Bill laughed; Sara was definitely one of the fun ones to tease.

"I'm sorry." Sara chuckled feebly, embarrassed thoroughly.

"It's no problem in the slightest."

The song came to a close and Nick swapped his Mother for Sara, whisking her off to the side.

"Why did I have to marry into a family that belongs in Strictly Come Dancing." Sara frowned, referencing the British Dancing tournament both her and Nick found fun to make fun of ever since they saw a clip which had been on some young girl's iPod that they had found when she died.

**25****th**** December 2005 02:04**

"Sara!" The over-cheery unknown female voice made Sara turn around, only to see a bleach-blonde woman come bounding towards her, hung on the arm of a much elder man.

"I'm Loretta, Darling. Nick's sister, oldest sister I mean. And this is my husband Ethan." The woman-Loretta had such a bright lipstick smile, the exact shade of her coral pink dress. Sara had never met Loretta before but Nick had told her all about her, she was the oldest daughter of the Stokes Family, born when Gillian and Bill were only 17; she lived in Hollywood with her millionaire- director husband Ethan Scott who was a year older than Bill, something of which Gillian wasn't proud of. She was a big-built woman but was kept slender by the many Celebrity-Diets of Los Angeles, she was generally a nice woman, always smiled but as Nick had warned she generally pushed into others business, asked questions without mercy and could be a bit full on for anyone who didn't know her.

Sara glanced nervously around for Nick, hoping that at this moment her knight in shining armour could ride in and rescue her from the clutches of the blonde woman. She found him over in the corner chatting casually to Greg and Warrick, she tried helplessly to send telepathic messages and meet his gaze but after a moment she realised she would have to Sidle-up and face the woman and her husband.

"Hi." Sara smiled, brushing a strand of curly brown hair from her face.

"Darling, you're so cute." Loretta cried, "Isn't she cute Ethie."

Ethan nodded and looked back at his wife.

Sara however was cautious and slightly irritated, Loretta was a handful and she couldn't say she was anything like anyone else in Nicks family. She also didn't respond well to being called cute. She wasn't cute.

"Thank you." Sara smiled weakly.

"I'm so glad you married Nick, to reach such an age and not be married should be a crime. I had a few of my girlfriends from L.A lined up to meet him next time he flew in, a shame though they were looking forward to seeing him."

"The job doesn't really allow for much personal time." Sara reasoned, realising she'd been so incredibly lucky to manage to have a life outwith her work despite the irony of the fact she was married to her co-worker – a problem that did not go down well with Ecklie.

"Nonsense, you meet people every day."

"We meet people on the worst day of their life; no-body wants to find a relationship when someone has just died." Sara explained.

"Still, I can't see why you couldn't have met someone before, or perhaps you and Nick could have married sooner, you've known each other for what, ten years." Loretta scoffed.

"Nine years, but we only started dating seven years ago." Sara said.

"Darling, only isn't a word you use there. I knew Ethie for 2 months before we got married." Loretta laughed.

"We wanted to wait." Sara answered.

And so they had, their job involved too much loss as did their history. They wanted to make sure they had a Happy Ending before they even wrote the book.

**25****th**** December 2005 03:04**

"The sun's coming up." Nick smiled, wrapping his arms around his new bride. "Do you think we should get everybody outside?"

"Is everything set?" She asked, turning around in his arms so they were face to face. Despite it being their Wedding they hadn't had many small moments together, they'd missed each other and even though they loved having everyone around they preferred the little moments they had alone, together.

"Table's set, band's set. Everything's ready." He chuckled, leaning in closer and inhaling her scent. She brought her head over his shoulder and leaned into his neck, planting tiny kisses on one spot on his neck. A spot that Nick felt was turning into Jelly.

"Do you want to tell everyone or shall I?" Sara asks, gesturing towards the empty microphone.

"Why don't we both do it Wife?" He smiled, the word "wife" sticking on his tongue at the unfamiliarity of it.

"Let's go then Husband." She said, with the same feeling as he. She laughed at the absurdity of calling each other Husband and Wife though, it was surreal both that she was married and could say things like that and surreal that they called each other husband and wife, titles never really spoken.

They held hands as they ran up the steps, Sara carefully holding her skirts in hand so she wouldn't trip on them. As they reached the microphone Nick tapped on it to get everyone's attention.

"Would everybody like to make their way outside?" Nick asked, giving no reason as to why they were leaving the warmth of the hall to waltz out into the freezing Winter Weather.

Sara smiled as she watched the crowd thread through the door and outside into the breaking dawn of Christmas Day.

Outside was a paved square, stretching on for metres in each direction, it was outlined by trees and woodland. The view you only found in the country. Not in the whirlwind lights of Las Vegas. In the centre of the square was a large pine tree decorated with large fairy lights and baubles and upon the very top was a gold star, it sparkled in the upcoming dawn and the lights stood out in the kaleidoscope of colours in the sky. As soon as everybody had emerged from the castle they had been in the band began to play a well known Christmas song and the crowd began to join in the song, until the crowd of people, standing before the over-sized Christmas tree were all in chorus, a harmony of voices singing.

_'Cause I just want you here tonight  
>Holding on to me so tight<br>What more can I do  
>Baby all I want for Christmas is you'<em>

"You're my favourite Christmas Present Sara." Nick smiled, placing his suit jacket over her shivering shoulders and kissing her cheek.

**25****th**** December 2005 04:04**

Sara leant further into Nick as they rode in their "Santa's sleigh" that was being pulled by 7 horses to the hotel they were to stay at. It had been something Sara had planned for Nick when they first started planning the Wedding, something neither of them enjoyed in the slightest and to him it was the greatest surprise that finished off a perfect day with the best ending.

And he couldn't help but think that right now his life was perfect.

His wife was cuddled up to him as they rode in a carriage to their hotel.

They held each other's hands like they would never let go.

Both wore gold bands, a promise of a million days like this.

It was Christmas Day and seven years ago at this very moment they were breaking the fence of friendship as they tumbled into the cotton sheets, wondering if this was the right thing.

They were further than they ever believed they'd get in life.

They were married.

They were In Love.

They were perfect.

**25****th**** December 2005 05:04**

He bent down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, his body covered hers and her arms wrapped around his neck. A flimsy nightdress and a pair of cotton boxers was all that separated their skin and as they continued the kisses their skin was raging with fire and demanding. Nick brought a hand to Sara's shoulder and slowly, ever so slowly began to pull the thin strap down. Their lips never left contact with each other and with each different move of lips, of tongues, of teeth made everything more urgent.

"Wait, Nick." She protested, feeling his hand sliding back up her bare arm.

"What is it?" He asked, still making his fingers dance along her skin, her flesh tingling at the soft touches.

"I don't feel right doing it with your Mum and Dad next door and with your sister and her husband and the other, especially as Josie's with them." Sara said, hating how she managed to destroy the moment in one swift move.

"Oh, yeah." Nick remembered. Getting up and off of Sara.

"You don't mind?" Sara asked, rolling so she was in the crook of his arm, her head lying on his bare chest.

"No, I'd prefer it. I had forgotten Josie and my parents were beside us. Couldn't care less about my sister though, there's been enough stuff with me and her that means I'm not embarrassed by anything with her now." Nick chuckled.

"I really wanna know, but I'll not ask right now." Sara laughed, tracing patterns on his chest with her finger.

"I feel like I'm the luckiest man in the world." Nick announced, breaking a moments silence.

Sara only looked up at him.

"I love you Sara, marrying you has been the best moment of my life. Knowing that there is more moments like that to come is reason enough to feel this way, but knowing I get to love and live forever with my best friend is something that will always make me lucky."

"You're a hopeless romantic Nick Stokes, and I'm glad your mine." She smiled. "You make me the luckiest person ever to live."

"I love you." Sara finished.

"I love you too." Nick smiled, dropping a kiss into her hair before turning off the lights.

**25****th**** December 2005 06:04**

There was a light knock at the door which woke Sara and Nick, they clambered out of bed and sleepily walked to the door to open it. On the other side of the door was a young, sleepy-eyed, freckled-face girl who stood barefoot on the once cream rug of the hallway.

"Josie?" Nick questioned, rubbing his eyes.

"Can I sleep with you Unkie Nick? Mummy and Daddy are being really loud." Josie asked, clutching a white teddy with pink letters spelling out Josie on its stomach.

Nick picked up Josie and Sara shut the door, yawning as she plodded behind the two, self consciously pulling down her nightdress in effort to appear modestly dressed in front of the nine-year old girl.

"What are they doing Josie-Jane?" Nick asked, wandering through to the bathroom which was the room right next to his sisters room.

"I don't know, being really loud. Like Bang-Bang-Bang!" Josie exclaimed, raising her voice so loud that Nick had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep her from waking anymore people. Sara stood at the doorway of the bathroom as Nick stood in the centre with Josie on his hip.

As soon as the noises started up again Sara and Nick knew what they were, and it wasn't suitable for a nine-year old girl.

"So what are they doing?" Josie asked, covering her ears at the banging.

"Kissing." Nick replied.

"...The walls with hammers." Sara added, looking at Nick as he shot her an incredulous look.

"What a funny thing to do." Josie giggled, nesting into Nicks shoulder, content with having her question answered.

As Nick passed Sara he laughed.

"What?" She asked, shrugging her shoulders.

"Kissing the walls with hammers?" He repeated. "Seriously."

"I couldn't think of anything." She protested.

"Kissing was fine." He replied.

"What kissing do you know makes sounds like that." She asked, raising her eyebrows.

He was about to open his mouth with a suggestive comment but Sara clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Don't answer that."


	8. Chapter 8

**On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 8 seconds silence, 7 Hours of Marriage, 6 Ghosts remembered, 5 shades of Red, 4 Best of Friends, 3 Day Shift, 2 Miles to Go and a Brown Leather Charm Necklace.**

**One of the shortest chapters yet and one of the longest waits. I apologise! xxxxx**

His warm tongue continued its path around the snowy white plains leaving a glistening trail to mark where'd been. Her skin was so soft, so clean, so sweet, he adored the taste. Craving it a like a drug, always wanting to taste it, feel it. He swept her stomach with his tongue, tracing circles around her navel, every time getting closer to the tiny button in the centre of her pale skin. She whimpered at the shivers on her body caused by his ministrations. At the rim of her navel he stopped and looked up at her.

"Sara?" He asked, putting his large hand on her stomach.

"Yes." She said, propping herself up onto her elbows.

"Are you pregnant?" He asked outright, massaging her skin with his thumb.

"You can tell with your tongue?" She asked incredulously, masking her fear of the further conversation.

Unfortunately, you can't hide the thudding organ beating in your chest in such a little amount of clothes with your lover's hand so close to the give-away.

"Sara." He whispered, "Are we..." Stopping as if the next word was too scandalous to say.

And the following seconds of silence would forever remain the longest eight seconds of his life. All they did was stare into each other's eyes, as the clock ticked off the time.

**8**

**He'd found the pregnancy test box in the recycling, she had to have thought she was pregnant.**

**7**

**She hadn't been ill lately, no morning sickness, no nausea.**

**6**

**She hadn't gained any weight, he was sure he could fit his hands around her tiny waist.**

**5**

**Were they ready to be parents?**

**4**

**What did a baby do to their lives?**

**3**

**Was she pregnant?**

**2**

**Did he want her to be?**

**1**

**What if she...**

"No, Nick I'm not pregnant." She announced.

**...wasn't.**

"Oh." The sound rolled of his tongue before he even knew what was happening.

"Are you disappointed?" She asked.

**Was he? He'd known about the pregnancy test since the morning but he hadn't given any thought towards if he wanted the baby or not. Apart from now when he realised he did want a child, an exact replica of him and Sara, the ultimate unity of their souls.**

**He was disappointed.**

**He wanted a baby.**

**He wanted to be a Daddy. He wanted to see Sara carry their child. He wanted to have a family.**

"Are you?" He shot back at her.

"Yes."

Sara Sidle, the Workaholic, Anti-marriage, Anti-baby, thee Sara Sidle. Wanted a baby.

And so did he.


	9. Chapter 9

**On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 9 months awaiting, 8 seconds silence, 7 Hours of Marriage, 6 Ghosts remembered, 5 shades of Red, 4 Best of Friends, 3 Day Shift, 2 Miles to Go and a Brown Leather Charm Necklace**

**I'll warn you now, this chapter is Sad.**

_That wasn't her, it couldn't have been. She'd been fine. Just two minutes ago._

_And blood, there was so much blood. On the floor, on her clothes._

_She was so white, her hands ice cold. Her hair was a pillow of dark waves on the white tile._

_He shouldn't have left her alone, why couldn't he have left the phone to ring._

_She was more important, the baby was more important._

_What had happened?_

_24__th__ December 2007-Desert Palms-Maternity Waiting Room- 17:44_

"I'm glad you could come." Nick smiled weakly, standing up from his uncomfortable plastic chair that sat against the wall of the waiting room which was painted a bright yellow colour to give the illusion of a happy place yet the almost mustard like tone made him feel like he was in a grungy, dirty place.

Warrick and Catherine smiled back at him, Catherine ushering Lindsay in before giving Nick a large hug and Warrick waiting back with the giggling one year old in his arms, her tiny tuft of dark hair pulled into a tiny sprout upon the top of her head and chocolate smeared over her caramel face and her bright sea-green eyes watching the foreign place with childish adoration. Ally was the sweetest one year old Nick had ever met, she took after both her Mum and Dad and the result was that she was princess-pretty and unremarkably sociable with everyone.

"So how is she?" Catherine asked, sitting down and pulling the eight-year old girl onto her lap, plaiting her Barbie-blonde hair with her fingers as the eight year old looked up at her step-father and uncle.

"In and out of consciousness, I talked to her a little while ago when she was awake, she's scared Cath. The doctors won't tell us anything." Nick said, forcing a smile as he held Ally who Warrick had handed over. "She wants to have the baby, she says if it comes down to a choice, to pick the baby over her. But I don't want to make that choice." He shook his head, stopping the tears threatening to fall.

"You won't have to, she's strong Nicky, she'll get through this-her and the baby." Catherine smiled.

"I'm allowed to check on her in a moment. She looks so different though, last time I checked she was so white and tiny looking, I've never seen her look like that before." Nick replied, adjusting the burbling Ally in his arms.

"Can I go and see her now?" Catherine asked out of the blue.

Nick looked at her and considered it before nodding his head, deciding he'd had hours with Sara and Catherine should have at least a few moments with her.

Catherine arose and brought Lindsay in hand along the corridor to room 703 where Sara Stokes lay with her unborn child.

-12-

"Hey darlin'." Nick grinned, stepping through the doorway of the hospital room.

"Nick." She smiled her voice so quiet it was almost inaudible even in the empty room.

"Sara." He said, walking towards the bed, salt tears running down his un-shaved cheeks.

"Don't start crying now cowboy." She sniffed, her brown eyes becoming glazed with tears.

He sat next to her on the bed, having learnt the first time that no matter what the doctors said he was never to sit on that chair but always on the bed, as close to her as he possible could manage. The wires around her almost engulfed the wall, winding tubes leading everywhere, from her, into her, linking machines to other machines, they all made her seem so ill, like this was so dangerous and they were the things he had vowed he wouldn't think of.

"You look beautiful." He whispered, fingering the plait in her mile long hair, it hadn't been cut since she found out she was pregnant and now when it was released from the confines of the countless baubles she used to keep it under control it fell past her chest and ended just at the beginning of her swollen stomach.

"Lindsay did it, Catherine told me it's better to have it out the way and not have to bother about it so Lindsay started to braid it. I kinda like it." She chuckled, wiping away some of her own tears before bringing a hand to cup his cheek. Using her thumb to brush away the tears he cried.

"You're beautiful." He repeated, struggling to talk through the lump in the back of his throat.

"So are you, I'll be okay Nick. I promise. And if anything does happen I'll come back and haunt you." She chuckled weakly, "One day you'll be hovering since I know how much you_ love _doing that and I'll be sitting saying 'You missed a spot, look dust!' You're not getting rid of that easy cowboy."

"I don't want to get rid of you." He replied, leaning into her and kissing her cheek, kissing every wet drip on her pale face, the salt water flooding his taste-buds.

"You won't, no matter what happens, whether I die in an hour or die in a decade I'll always be with you, in our baby, in your mind, in your heart. I won't let you forget me." She said, taking his hand in hers. "But promise me one thing Nicky, if I die in an hour don't hold it against the baby, love it like I know you could and it's alright to love the baby, it's alright to love another woman. Don't let me stop your life Nick. Please."

"Sara." He spluttered, incapable of holding back the tears.

And as the floodgates broke, both occupants in the sterile, white room began to cry with no restraints, holding onto each other for dear life.

**25****th**** December 2007- Maternity Ward-Desert Palms- Baby Unit 03:30**

She was fine, she was okay. Both of them, the sweet baby girl in his arms and the beautiful woman down the corridor, they were both fine, both alive.

They were both here.

Zoe Avaline Stokes, was the most perfect girl in the entire world. Born at twelve minutes past Christmas day, she was the best Christmas Present he had ever gotten. She had tiny wisps of brown hair and unremarkably brown eyes for a new born. She was almost like a living angel, a wonderful miracle. For her and her mother were never both meant to on the earth together in the end but they'd managed, they'd done it and now Nick Stokes was proud to call himself a father and a husband. Zoe was tiny in his arms, almost a feather in a child's grasp but as she slept she held on tightly to his finger as if never to let go.

They'd had to do a C-section in the end as Sara was in no condition to give birth for she was continuously losing consciousness, growing weaker and weaker by the moment and as they got closer to the birth she began to rapidly drop in vitals and her heart-beat plummeted. In the last three hours all Nick had done was stare at his sleeping wife, his sleeping child and watched the dangerous operation to bring Zoe into the world yet now he could hold his baby-girl in his arms, he could sit beside his wife, he could be close to the two people that mattered most in his life.

As he made sure Zoe was fast asleep he tucked her into the cot and placed a teddy by her head; a sunshine with a black, line smile and two big dots for eyes. He then walked out of the baby room where over 30 children lay sleeping in tiny, plastic baths as Sara had called them and into the corridor. He closed the door gently as to not wake any of the new-borns then looked down the corridor, just in time to see an army of doctors, nurses and medical equipment being rushed along the corridor at high speed. They were shouting orders but he couldn't understand what they were saying over the loud, droning beep.

_Please don' turn left. _He prayed, crossing his fingers as he began to run down the hall after them.

But his prayers weren't answered. The team of medical professionals turned left into the once quiet room of 703.


	10. Chapter 10

**On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, ten steps a walking, nine months awaiting, eight seconds silence, seven hours of marriage, six ghosts remembered, five shades of red, four best of friends, three day shift, two miles to go and a brown leather charm necklace.**

**25****th**** December 2008 06:58 San Antonio Stokes Guest House**

"I swear Zoe, you get more beautiful every day." Nick Stokes smiled to his one year old-as of today- daughter. "Do you know what day it is?"

"One!" Zoe shouted, her big, brown eyes staring into her identical father's.

"And?" Nick asked, lifting her up out of her crib and into his arms.

"One!" She giggled holding up one of her fingers like he'd been teaching her to do for a few months now.

"I know your one Baby, I've just realised that you've been my baby for a whole, big year. It some ways it feels like so much more, in others so much less." Nick said, thinking back upon the 366 days that got him to this moment in his life, thinking through the hell that he was facing this time last year, the major steps in Zoe's progress, the words, the crawling, the tiny teeth she possessed which Nick had learnt early on were lethal when she put force on them.

"And not only is it your birthday Baby, but it's Christmas, and Mummy and Daddy's Wedding Anniversary all in one day." Nick chuckled, "you're Uncle Warrick told me not to have any other major events on Christmas Day, told me it's a running theme. I wonder why."

"Mady!" Zoe smiled, using her word for Mummy and Daddy even though she could perfectly say "Mummy and Daddy". She did it to many words if they were used together, whether it was because she couldn't say some of the parts of the words so didn't bother, or she just couldn't be bothered saying all of it.

"Yip, Mady's Wedding Anniversary." Nick sighed, blinking rapidly to remove the images of last year from his mind.

"Do you want to open Birthday or Christmas presents first?" Nick asked, placing the little girl on the wicker-chair as he searched for her clothes.

She swayed on the chair and looked thoughtful for a moment before she threw her hand in the air. "Mady present!"

As soon as the words came from her tongue she rolled onto her side and slid down the chair, landing on the floor on her nappy-padded bottom with a thud. She then took off, shuffling along the pale carpet to her toy-chest in the corner.

"Zoe, where on earth are you headed to?" Nick asked, debating whether the dungarees and pink, checked shirt were a little too country or not.

The little girl shoved the heavy lid off of her toy box, panting with the effort. "Heavy Daddy." She pouted.

"Need Help?" He asked, watching her curiously.

"Big Girl Daddy, I do it." She said confidently, bending almost in half over the edge of the box, rummaging for the one thing she wanted most. The sound of Ah-ha came from her mouth as she almost fell into the box before pulling out with a box in her hands.

"Daddy, Annivarry." She announced, handing him the box.

"What is it Rainbow?" He asked, taking the box from her hands.

"Daddy open it." She said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Nick sat down in the wicker chair and lifted Zoe onto his knee, he took the lid off of the box and stared inside at the layers of blue, crushed tissue paper. Delving his fingers into the tissue he found a piece of paper about three centimetres from the top.

'_Nicky, I hope you get this, and if you do who knew a one-year old would remember. I made sure your Mum reminded her. I hope you like your gift, I'm sorry I couldn't be there to give it to you, I love you. I'll always love you. Never forget that. Sara. Xxx'_

Nick read the tiny script over and over, tears forming in his eyes as he thought of last year, thought of the empty side of the bed beside him this morning, the cold, untouched side she should have slept on. He wished with his whole life that she could have been here. Pocketing the piece if paper he put his fingers in the box again, and pulled out a tiny box. Zoe clapped and cheered as he did so.

"Found it Daddy!" She chuckled.

He opened it and took a minute to stare at the object inside, a leather neck chain with one light metal chain with a cowboy hat on it.

"Pretty." Zoe grinned, placing a hand on her Daddy's rough cheek.

"It is." Nick smiled, unclasping the neck chain and placing it around his neck.

"Daddy a girl." Zoe stated.

"I am not, this is a manly necklace." Nick said, chuckling.

"I got one, Mummy got one." Zoe argued childishly. "We girls."

"Do you want to wear yours today?" Nick asked, Zoe too had a brown leather necklace that looked almost identical to her mother's except she had a Z rather than an S and she had three additional rainbow coloured beads because Nick had taken to calling her Rainbow ever since she'd been left unsupervised to crayon and she'd drawn rainbows all over her walls at home.

"Yeah!" Zoe cheered.

"Let's get all dressed then, what do you want to wear?" Nick asked, picking Zoe up in his arms and standing up.

"Rainbow!" Zoe replied, her rainbow outfit consisted of her tie die top that Sara had made, her stripey tights and her blue dungaree's that Nick bought her and orange wellies that she never seemed to be out of.

"Okay, Rainbow it is." Nick said, leaning down and picking up the dungarees he had out and rummaging for everything else.

-12-

"Mummy!" Zoe cried upon hearing the door open. If Nick had been as young as Zoe he would have done the same thing but instead he grabbed Zoe and walked quickly to the doorway where his wife was emerging through the doorway. Her court suit still on and her suitcases in one hand.

"Zoe!" Sara smiled, taking her bubbling daughter in her arms as her husband entrapped them both in his.

"Sara." Nick whispered, inhaling the scent of her auburn curls.

"Nick." She breathed, rolling her head back into his shoulder.

"I missed you Sunshine." He smiled, kissing her on the cheek.

"I missed you cowboy," she smiled.

"Zoe missed you Mummy." Zoe said, wrapping her tiny arms around her mother's neck.

"Mummy missed you Zoe." Sara chuckled, squeezing her daughter tightly before placing her on the floor.

"Mummy," Zoe said, holding her necklace away from her neck. "Daddy a girl."

"It's a manly necklace." Nick protested.

"I'm glad you like it." Sara snickered.

"Mady!" Zoe cried, drawing all the attention towards her.

She slowly stood up on her wellie clad feet, using her hands to balance herself out and took one step. Something she'd been doing for a while now, so far they'd gotten up to six steps before she fell again but they were sure one of these days she would manage to walk the length of the living room back in Las Vegas. She began to take a step and both Sara and Nick counted aloud with each step.

"One...

Two...

Three...

Four...

Five...

Six...

Seven..."

Zoe wobbled but didn't fall; her hands were out as if trying to walk on a tightrope.

"Eight...

Nine...

Ten..."

Zoe fell onto her bottom and Nick and Sara clapped, proud of the ten steps their daughter had taken. She was advanced for her age, talking a bit more than usual one year's did and walking easier as well.

"I did it Mady!" Zoe clapped, touching her toes as if they suddenly felt very strange.

"You did it Baby." Sara and Nick cheered, watching their daughter with all of their attention.

Zoe however after feeling pleased with herself took off on her bottom through her part-time bedroom door.

"Stay Mady." Zoe ordered, hearing her parents begin to follow her. With that, Sara and Nick looked at each other in curiosity, hoping the other could explain more.

Zoe reappeared a minute later with a plastic carrier bag in her hand.

"From Zoe." She smiled, the only four teeth she had showing through.

"Thank you rainbow." Nick smiled.

"Thank you Zoe." Sara chuckled.

-12-

"She's asleep." Sara whispered, looking over her sleeping daughter as Nick stepped into the dark room.

"She was exhausted, her Mummy came home today." Nick smiled, wrapping his arms around Sara's waist from behind.

"I hope her Daddy's not tired." Sara whispered huskily, wrapping her arms behind her head around his neck.

"Oh really?" Nick snickered, pressing light kisses to her neck.

"I missed you Cowboy, three days is far too long." She stated, moving them both out of the room by taking Nicks hand and dragging him.

"I hate that your court case was dragged on for so long. Zoe and I missed you so much." Nick replied, placing her onto the bed. The same bed where he'd missed her the most for the last two nights.

"I wanted you beside me." Nick continued. "I wanted to hold you."

"I hated being on my own." Sara breathed. "I don't want to be apart again."

"Me neither." Nick replied, dropping kisses onto her lips.

"I don't want to be in a Court Room rather than with my family ever again." Sara said. "I don't want my husband and my daughter to be a million miles away."

"Personally, I'm glad you're here sunshine." Nick grinned, leaning down onto Sara in a warm embrace.


	11. Chapter 11

**On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me; eleven fairies flying,** **ten steps a walking, nine months awaiting, eight seconds silence, seven hours of marriage, six ghosts remembered, five shades of red, four best of friends, three day shift, two miles to go and a brown leather charm necklace.**

**25****th**** December 2009- 20:18 Las Vegas, Stokes Residence.**

"Another one please Mummy." Zoe crooned, fluttering her eyelashes and praying with her hands.

"Another Story?" Sara asked, wearily chuckling, "You've already had three."

"I _could_ have four." Zoe smiled.

"Okay then sweetie, what do you want it to be about?" Sara asked, fixing herself on the floor with more pillows as the pink carpet flooring of Zoe's bedroom wasn't comfortable in the slightest.

"Fairies." Zoe answered, fingering the fairy-bear teddy beside her.

"Okay," Sara smiled, thinking for a moment before continuing. "Once upon a time there were eleven tiny fairies, they lived in the Kingdom of Las Vegas a place where big bad trolls and giants roamed, stepping on all the building making them flat into the ground. They were very bad people and it was the fairies jobs to save the Kingdom of Las Vegas from the evil and return the kingdom to a happy place."

"The youngest fairy was beautiful. Everybody was in awe of her." Nick smiled, standing in the doorway leaning against the wall. Watching his daughter and his wife interact, his most favourite thing to do.

"She had long, brown hair that sparkled with pixie dust and she always wore a rainbow dress, a magnificent dress in every colour you could ever think of." Sara added, watching her daughter but watching Nick at the same time, silently adoring how he smiled at them. The laugh lines around his eyes as his brown eyes sparkled. She would never get tired of this, of a husband, of a daughter. It was a new, more beautiful thing every day.

"She didn't fight against the evil trolls though; she was much too young so her Mummy and Daddy put her in this large castle with her best friend Ally Brown who was another beautiful fairy. They both lived together in this large purple castle, safe out of the way of the evil trolls and giants." Sara smiled, watching as Nick came in and sat next to her.

"Her Mummy and Daddy did fight against the giants and trolls, the great Nick Stokes and Sara Stokes, the latter one of the most beautiful, enchanting fairies in the entire world and the former an old cowboy." Nick stopped as Sara interrupted,

"Who was ruggedly handsome and made all the girly fairies fall in love with him."

"But it was only this one fairy he liked of course." Nick completed, wrapping an arm around Sara as he kissed her cheek. "And they fought alongside seven other fairies, Greg, Catherine, Warrick, Grissom, Brass, Doc Robbins and Super Dave."

"Doc Robbins was a magic fairy; he invented elixirs and potions to cure everybody who had been hurt by the bad guys and he spent an awful lot of time helping the fairies Nick and Sara Stokes who were regularly in trouble." Sara laughed, nudging her husband in the stomach. "For these two fairies always found themselves in the worst trouble, they were either trapped in a glass cage in the Wicked Wizards house or they were trapped under the Wicked Witch's broomstick. They both seemed to appear regularly at Doc Robbins and his assistant Super Dave."

"Jim Brass was a tough fairy, he kept the bad people in line, made sure his team was up to the job and acted like a Dad to most of the other fairies, him and Gil Grissom were the leaders of the clan of fairies, they kept all the younger fairies in line as well as helping them through the hard life of being a Kingdom Saver and Investigator. Something that was shortened to a KSI." Nick intervened, watching Zoe as she slowly began to drift off to the sound of their voices.

"Catherine, Warrick and Greg worked with Sara and Nick as a special team of the younger fairies, Catherine and Warrick were Ally's Mummy and Daddy, they'd been married for a million years and had two daughters, Ally and another one called Lindsay who had been sent away to a Butterfly School. Greg was the youngest fairy, a silly little fairy with hair taller than his head!" Sara chuckled. "And one day there was a terrible storm over the Kingdom, when all of the witches and wizards, and trolls and giants came to get the fairies."

"They stomped over the buildings, roaring and shouting." Nick said.

"And the fairies began to panic; they didn't know how to face the wave of Monsters that were approaching." Sara added.

"So they gathered together, with bags of print dust and feather brushes." Nick continued, brushing a loose strand of hair away from Zoe's sleeping face.

"The print dust, when it touched someone's skin made it feel like thousands of fingers were tickling them, and the feather brushes did the same, it was a secret weapon that only the KSI's knew about. They came in all sorts of magic colours, green, yellow and pink. Each more deadlier than the last." Sara finished.

"And of course the fairies won, and the kingdom lived happily after." Nick ended, standing up and pulling Sara's hand to help her up.

"Why were you at the door?" Sara whispered to Nick. It had been her night for stories and Nicks night for doing whatever he needed to do. Of course she had no problem with him being there but she knew it meant something."

"We got it." Nick beamed.

"Really?" Sara asked in shock, dragging Nick out of the room so they could talk without having to whisper.

"In under a year we'll never have to worry again and we'll get our wish." Nick smiled, hugging Sara back as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"This is great." She smiled, "its fantastic Nick."

**Shorter Chapter and a cliff-hanger. Sorry. xx**


	12. Chapter 12

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me;  
>Twelve <strong>years of perfect,<strong> Eleven **fairies flying, **Ten **steps a-walking**, Nine **months awaiting,**  
>Eight <strong>seconds silence <strong>, Seven** hours of marriage**, Six **ghosts remembered,** Five **shades of red,** Four **best of friends, **Three **day shift,** Two **miles to go,** And a **brown leather charm necklace****.**

**24****th**** December 2010 **

"It's perfect Nicky." Sara smiled, looking at the tree Nick had decorated in the garden. It was an average forest pine-tree, and had taken three men, a woman, twenty eight cups of tea and coffee and three days to finish.

"It's massive Daddy, like lots and lots of Zoe's high." The almost-three year old squealed as she ran into the garden, followed by the small puppy they'd bought for her.

"It is Huh," Nick grinned, lifting Zoe into his arms as she flew past.

"Yip, cause even with you lifting me up I'm still not nearly as tall as it, and you're a giant Daddy." Zoe said, reaching her arms up to see if it brought her anywhere near the top of the fifty foot tall tree.

"Well come on in then Rainbow because I hate to say this but it's getting dark which means it's your bedtime. Especially if you want Santa to come." Nick chuckled, walking towards Sara who was standing at the doorway since she couldn't be bothered finding her shoes to go outside.

"Do I really have to go to bed Mummy?" Zoe asked, "I'm not tired."

"Yes, but first you can go Skype Ally and Lindsay, wish them a Merry Christmas." Sara smiled, watching Nick let Zoe go and watch her run over to the laptop where Ally and Lindsay's faces were already.

"Apparently we all sound really different." Sara said to Nick.

"What?" he asked, looking at her.

"I was on the phone to Catherine while you two were outside, apparently we all sound really different and I've noticed it in Zoe, she's so Southern when she talks now, takes completely after her Daddy." Sara chuckled, sitting down at the large kitchen table.

"You twang too Sunshine." Nick grinned, kissing her on the cheek as he went to sit down next to her.

"I can't believe we've been here for a month now." Sara announced, looking out of the window of their San Antonio home.

"You regret it?" Nick queried, worried that she did.

"Not at all, I didn't want Zoe to grow up in Las Vegas; I wanted her to get the chance to grow up like you did. Outdoors, free and with no murder around every corner, no sex offender in every street. And I love it here, it's beautiful and it's dark at night." Sara sighed peacefully, twirling her now short again hair around her finger. "She's really happy here, all her family's here."

"Not all of her family are her Sara, all my side of her family are here." Nick reminded.

"That's the way I want it, I don't want her to ever know my side, if I have to have a side of the family I'll take everybody back in Las Vegas." Sara smiled.

"Can you believe it's been twelve years?" Nick asked, changing the subject.

"No." Sara laughed honestly.

"Twelve years since you came home with me for the first time." Nick grinned.

"Twelve years since I woke up in your bed." Sara added, resting her head on Nick's shoulder.

"Twelve years since you freaked out because you'd slept with a co-worker." Nick exclaimed.

"Twelve years since I freaked because I'd slept with you, the guy who came into my dreams every other night." She corrected.

"Twelve years since I realised I wanted to end up here with you one day."

"Twelve years of perfect." She smiled.

_She was the woman who would never get married, she'd never have kids. She wasn't a maternal type. She was a workaholic who spent her spare time head deep in a forensic journal but he'd pulled her out. Shown her a different world, shown her a fairytale. _

_At first she'd been reluctant; the real world didn't have happy endings. She didn't want to get hurt, or hurt somebody else. Especially if it was Nick Stokes she would end up hurting. He was her best friend, but gradually he'd became more. A best friend and a lover, a boyfriend and a best-friend. A husband and a best-friend. A husband a father and a best-friend. He'd been it all and he was still there._

_As they sat in their three floor San Antonio house in the middle of nowhere. A three year old daughter on the sofa talking loudly to her best-friends through a computer screen, a cat curled up beside her and a tiny puppy sitting at her feet. Their family lived a few miles away and would visit regularly. They talked every night to the people back in Las Vegas. The place they'd left ever since they'd found the monsters in it made it no place to raise a young girl properly. _

_Every decision they'd made in the last twelve years crafted this picture, everything in it even down to large Christmas tree in the back garden._

_In the kitchen they had twelve photo's in different coloured frames, it was on to symbolise every year of there being two of them together. The first was the picture they'd taken on their first night, the one she'd gotten printed on a mug for him, the second was the picture of Josie, Nick and Sara playing a game with Barbie dolls which Josie had gotten from 'Santa'. _

_The third was a picture of the two of them when they'd finally gotten home from the three day shift. _

_The fourth was a picture of Nick, Sara, Warrick and Greg their heads very squished together trying to get everybody in the photo. _

_The fifth picture wasn't really a picture, it was a Congratulations card they'd gotten that had been signed by everybody that they had been given the day after the dreadfully embarrassing way that told each and every one of their co-workers that "Yes, they were dating."_

_The sixth was a picture of the cast of the Muppets in the Christmas Carol which had been Sara's Christmas present the next year._

_The seventh was a wedding photo, standard and traditional apart from the Christmas tree behind them._

_The eighth was a picture of the long-awaited positive pregnancy test._

_The ninth was a picture of Sara and Nick holding the tiny baby Zoe._

_The tenth was a picture of Zoe standing by herself in her rainbow outfit in front of the tiny Christmas tree they had that year. _

_The eleventh was a drawing Nick had done that night of the Csi's as fairies, they all looked quite comical and whereas he was going to through it out, Sara had framed it and kept it, saying they would never get rid of it._

_And the twelfth picture was of the three of them standing outside their new house. The one they lived in now._

"What was your favourite part of this year?" Sara asked, stroking his hand with her thumb.

"Definitely not the Relationship between co-workers talk from Grissom, that was like getting the Sex-Talk from your father." Nick shuddered jokingly.

"I never got that." Sara shrugged.

"What the sex talk?" Nick asked.

"Nicky my parents were hippies." She reminded.

"So what was your favourite part, Sar?" He asked.

"Waking up to you." She smiled. "On the first day, the second, the third and every day after. I love waking up to you Nicky."

"I don't have a favourite part, my favourite part is life with you, it's been going on for over twelve years and it'll continue till the end of the earth." Nick said, kissing the top of her head.

_And so it would._

_A love that lasted forever._


End file.
